Hotel Santa María Briones.

Occupying a meticulously restored 16th-century manor house, Santa María Briones serves as a sophisticated gateway to La Rioja’s storied wine country. Architect Ignacio Quemada and designer Isabel López Villalta spent six years reviving the structure, balancing rugged original stonework and dark wood with sleek, contemporary finishes. The property’s sixteen rooms feel more like private residences than hotel suites, featuring minimalist luxury and high-end materials. Distinctive historical features are integrated throughout the common spaces, most notably a former stone water cistern and a traditional wine press, or lagar, which now functions as a private dining room. At the helm of the on-site restaurant, Allegar, Chef Juan Cuesta focuses on refined Riojan flavors. It is an intimate, design-forward base for exploring the medieval streets of Briones and the surrounding vineyards.